The field of the present invention relates generally to thin film electrodes and, more particularly, to forming an electrode having reduced corrosion and water decomposition on the surface of the electrode.
Electrochemical corrosion of an electrode causes deterioration of the electrode and reduced functionality. Further, if the electrode is immersed in an aqueous solution and a voltage is applied, then water decomposes forming oxygen and hydrogen bubbles on the surface of an electrode.
Protecting surfaces against corrosion by coating such surfaces with an inert substance is known. The protective coating can be a layer of a metal with better protection properties than the bulk material, for example, covering iron or unalloyed steal with a layer of treated zinc. A second option is the protective coating can be an enamel layer or glass-like layer of an inorganic non-metallic material. The third option for corrosion protection is coating with an organic polymer, for example, intrinsically conducting polymers. There is a need for an improved method of inhibiting electrochemical corrosion and water decomposition on electrode surfaces.